"To Hear or Not To Hear"

When you hear the words Selective Hearing, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

My wife would say "Sim."  I hear, get some peanut butter at the market please. So I pick up the house brand Shop rite.  She say I told you specifically Skippy smooth. I don’t think I heard that? 

Isn’t it odd how some people only hear part of what you say? Some people only hear what they want to hear and then there are others who hear you say one thing, and interpret it as something entirely different. And I am sure it happens to us all. 

A man walked up to the front door of a big farmhouse, and knocked on the door until the owner came. The man said, “Sir, could I please have something to eat? I haven’t had a meal in over 4 days.” The well-to-do owner of the house said, “I have made my fortune in the world by never giving anything away for free. If you go around to the back of the house, you’ll fine a fresh gallon of paint and a clean brush. Paint the porch out back and I’ll give you a good meal.”  The man headed off to the back of the house. About an hour later he knocked on the front door. The homeowner was surprised. “You’re finished already? That was quick! Come in and the cook will bring you a meal.” “Thank you, sir!” the man said. “I must tell you though, you really don’t know your cars sir. Oh, The Porsche I painted out back is actually a BMW." 

Matthew 21: 28-32  The authorities of the Law in Jesus day were always trying to trap Him with a question that might lead them to lay charges against Him so they could turn him over the Roman Emperor for execution.  In most cases Jesus was able to return their request with a question or parable that usually stopped them in their tracks.  This is one of those examples. 

John the Baptist, in their eyes was not a prophet but a heretic.   On the other hand the people saw John as a prophet sent by God to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.  Therefore the chief priests and elders could not answer Him without setting the crowds against them.  By affirming that Johns authority to baptize came from God they would turn the heretic into a prophet.  They couldn’t do that, and if they claimed his authority came from man, then the crowd who saw John as prophet would turn against them.   No matter how they answered the question it would now back fired on them.  So they do not answer and in the process do not get an answer from Jesus.   But Jesus doesn’t stop there and He never does folks.  He tells them a parable.   Parables are a great ways to tell the truth without having to be factual and they can be more effective because a parable can hold many truths.   The Key to any parable or story within the scriptures is to be able to relate its truth or truths to your own life and the current events of the day.  In other words you don’t just read it, you need to put yourself in the parable or the story so you can see the truth about yourself.  How many of us when reading a good book, or the bible often think “I know someone who needs to hear this”?  Well, if that someone isn’t you, then it probably won’t be of much benefit to “YOU”. Did you hear that?  No pun intended!!  You have to find or put yourself in the situation to gain any wisdom.  You have to love all of yourself folks, the good stuff and the errors, otherwise, as Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 13: 1, we just become a noisy gong. 

 I have two sons and a daughter, I have 5 grandchildren and another on the way.   When my three were growing up I would often asked for help when there were choirs to do around the home but I would not always get an instant yes from all three.  One might be glad to help, one might be reluctant and the other just might say yes but somehow always find an excuse to have skipped out.  For those of us who are parents maybe that has been your experience too.  Since I was brought up in a very structured background skipping out was not acceptable.  When you resisted the will of my grandfather, a wrathful voice or something else would show up.  How did you feel and react when resistance to your will is thrown in your face?  Many of us have been there not just as parents but as adults too, what emotion comes to the surface for you?  Is it anger, frustration, revenge, what?

But I want you to imagine this resistance from the view point of God.  We are all God’s children at heart not matter how old you are and our God is inviting us all to work with Him in the building of a better world, the building of His kingdom come.  Now here is where this parable gets real personal folks.  Out of the two characters in the parable, which one is you.   What is God’s will for you and how are you responding to that will? Are you listening to the spirit speaking to you?  Is the will and way of our Heavenly Parent the most important thing in your life these days?  You know, I think we would all including myself have to say no to that question.  Forgive me Father.  These are tough personal questions folks, and you have to humbled yourself in order to answer them truthfully. 

Our world seems to becoming a world that is all about “ME” these day?   Isn't that the way it is with so many of our sons and daughters today, not only with many young people but with many of us adults as well?  A common quote these day is:   my 5 minutes of fame, and you know the worst part of that 5 minutes for some is, it has cost them their reputation or even their very life.   I appears today that is, all about “ME.”   Yet we have been blessed with an Island that many call paradise to be our homeland– we were given the materials to constructed our homes, talents to support an income and blessings too numerous to count and still many say to God who is the source of things, "Who are you?  I owe you nothing, I am deserving of my riches because of my labor, I have earned these things.   A faith community is not a necessity, neither is go to church and I have earned the right to do as I please with my money and my life.  Is that not what is being expressed by many of the young and old of today, by what others see us doing, hear us say, often without much thought of the consequences.   It has even found its comfortable home within religions, churches and governments today.   I believe many are blinded by something called selective seeing?  A topic for another day.

Have we forgotten that in the beginning God created out of the chaotic darkness the universe and that the earth was formless and desolate? Genesis 1: 1.  Have we forgotten that everything in the heavens and on the earth was made for and through “Christ”, so “The Christ” { the incarnate Jesus} could offer it all to the sons and daughters of the human race, Genesis1: 26-31.  How could we forget this?  Are we teaching our children about materialism without teaching them from where it all came?  Who then will teach them and us to be grateful for what God has done? 

May I suggest that in order to really get Jesus’ point in this parable you will have to decide which of the two characters in the story most resembles you?  Oh Darn and I thought it was all about the other guy.  You see it really is, all about the other I mean,   but not the way the world is presenting it to us and to our youth today.  They see it as, it’s all about me and not about the other.  Jesus once again turns our world upside down and point the finger back at us. We can be either the wayward or obedient child, it is up to us to choose.   There is no wiggle room here folks.  I remembering a good friend of mine told me once I was sitting on picket fence concerning a crucial decision that I needed to make in my life.  You know what a picket fence look like sticks have a point at the top.  He told me I couldn’t stay there forever.  Eventually I would fall off to one side or the other but it was inevitable I had to choose.    His comments were right.  Eventually I fell over to Theology and ministry leaving my lucrative last secular career in Pedorthics.  Making a decision to sell my home and practice and to work with God full time changed my life big time.     You don’t have to become a minister to do that folks.  All you need to do is begin to live your life as a reflection of how you understand the life of Jesus.  That decision can make big changes in your life.   Just because I chose ministry doesn’t mean that I have gotten it all together either.  For me it is still a work in progress.  Let us never forget that God has given us all things both physical and spiritual, I own nothing, and I have no right.  Reverence this with gratitude and by example you to will become part of the Kingdom you have been called upon to help build.   We are all called to work within Gods Kingdom.